Madrid Sights

El Centro

Palacio Real, C. de Baillén (☎ 91 454 87 00; www.patrimonionacional.es), After the previous Muslim fortress was destroyed in a fire, Philip V began building the almost entirely marble Palacio Real. ...more

Huertas

Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, C. de Alcalá, 13 (☎ 91 524 08 64; rabasf.insde.es), The oldest permanent art institute in Madrid, the Real Academia de Bellas Artes is a short walk away ...more

Retiro

With the construction of the 300-acre Parque del Buen Retiro in the 1630s, Felipe IV intended to transform the former hunting grounds into a personal retreat, un buen retiro. Today, “the lungs of ...more

Avenida Del Arte

Museo Nacional Reina Sofía, C. Santa Isabel, 52 (☎ 91 774 10 00; www.museoreinasofia.es), This public collection of 20th-century art has burgeoned since Juan Carlos I declared the building a national ...more

Malasaña And Chueca

Convento de Las Salesas Reales, C. Barbara de Braganza (☎ 91 319 48 11), This mostly empty church is a calm getaway from the hustle and bustle of Chueca. Next door to some of the district's classiest ...more

Gran Vía

Plaza de España, On a sunny day the Plaza de España is filled with street performers, vendors, sunbathers, and Spanish couples showcasing some serious PDA. In the middle of the plaza, look for the statues ...more

Argüelles And Moncloa

Templo de Debod, C. de Ferraz, 1 (☎ 91 366 74 15; www.munimadrid.es/templodebod), On a nice day, this is one of the most beautiful spots in Madrid. In the'60s, when massive flooding threatened to destroy ...more

Salamanca

Biblioteca Nacional, Paseo de Recoletos, 20-22 (☎ 91 883 24 02; www.bne.es), With an intricately carved marble exterior, the massive Biblioteca Nacional is an impressive sight. It's not your typical ...more

Outside The City Center

El Prado, (☎ 91 376 15 00), Originally built in the 15th century as a hunting lodge for Enrique IV, El Prado was also the permanent residence of Franco, who remained there until his death in 1975. On ...more

La Latina And Lavapiés

Basilica de San Francisco el Grande, C. de San Buenaventura, 1 (☎ 91 365 38 00), This Roman Catholic Church is one of the most distinctive structures in La Latina. The basilica was designed in a Neoclassical ...more